Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. Senate Democrats overcame an attempt by Republicans to replace a wide-ranging tax and benefits bill with a more targeted version that wouldn't add to the federal budget deficit.
In a 57-41 vote, all but one Senate Democrat voted against the Republican plan. Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) joined with the minority party to support the leaner proposal.
One lawmaker on each side of the aisle missed the vote.
The Republican measure would have stripped out $24 billion in fiscal aid to state governments and introduced broad budget cuts to most federal agencies in order to fully offset the cost of the legislation.
Like the Democratic version of the bill, it would renew a popular series of tax cuts aimed at businesses and individuals, continue federal jobless benefits and avert pending reductions in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients.
It would propose delaying those payment reductions through 2012, longer than Democrats have proposed doing.
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Republican plan would reduce the federal budget deficit by $68 billion over the next decade.
There hasn't been an official estimate of the new version from the CBO yet.
Democrats hope to push forward with that revised framework and conclude work on the legislation next week.
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones Newswires
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